A few months ago, I read a newsletter by an author and blogger I've always enjoyed - Mark Manson. It struck a chord. I left it in my inbox, marked as unread, so I would come back to it. Which I did, again and again and again. It was titled, 'The simplest fix is the one everyone ignores'. In the body of the newsletter, Mark went on to say, 'One thing for you to think about ... Most of what we perceive as problems will magically go away after a walk outside and a good night’s sleep'. Now, my nose wrinkled at the word 'magically'. I don't like the insinuation of a magical cure all. I am not a fa ..read more

One of the consequences of a 18+ year history of teaching yoga classes, trainings, and workshops is that time on my own became essential to stay balanced and recharged. In fact, I'd need dedicated time to go in - in silence, in nature, in contemplation - almost as often as I was going or offering out. This has always been part of who I am. When I can move slowly, with permission to honour my own impulses or rhythms, my body and spirit thrive. Enter motherhood. And suddenly, large amounts of empty rich time simply disappeared. Inside motherhood is a level of presence and moment to moment engage ..read more

Winter is a time when we tend to hunker down. The days seem so short and the fullness of our life is compressed, all of our responsibilities seem like they have to fit into a much smaller time window. What often gets lost in the squeeze is the time we give to ourselves to care for ourselves, to do the things that bring us joy, that bring us pleasure. In fact, something I've come to know about myself is that a sense of embarrassment or shame, often arises when I even entertain the thought of doing things for pleasure's sake. For no other reason than it would bring me joy. And when I sit with th ..read more

Make yourself comfortable. Find a place to sit or lie down where your body is at ease. With your eyes open, take a few moments to notice where you are. Allow your head and eyes to move and turn as you take in your surroundings. When you feel ready, soften or close your eyes. Become aware of the places where your body makes contact with the surface of the chair or the floor. Allow this contact to really sink in, feeling the edges or the boundaries of your body, your skin, in contact with this support. Notice what happens inside, if anything, as you register these points of contacts. When the ti ..read more

Working with a yoga therapy client last week, I heard myself call Legs up the Wall (Viparita Karani) a "game changer". I immediately flashbacked to a very difficult year and time in my life when I could barely summon up the energy for my own asana practice, let alone showing up to teach classes, workshops, and trainings. I longed for something simple that I could practice and establish as an "anchor" in my life, something that could be both deeply restorative and revitalising. Something that (no matter how I was feeling on the day - my energy high or low) that I could commit and turn to. Legs ..read more

Yoga can happen anywhere. We don't need special clothing. We don't need candles. We don't need a playlist. We don't need to practice at a particular time of day or a specific length of time. We don't even need a studio, a teacher, a sticky mat. I stumbled upon this spontaneous moment of yoga play (circa 2010) today and so enjoyed seeing/sensing the expression of freedom and joy. At the time, I didn't know this photo was being taken. It was not for Instagram or for a promotional flier. This moment I'm being/making was for me and the sun warming my skin and the ocean breeze moving my hair and t ..read more

On one of the first few days on our Yoga & NVC retreat, Anna laid out her soul cards. All of us, participants and facilitators, walked into the circle of cards to pick one that called to us. I chose the one on the left. Today, I discovered an image of me (below) taken at some point over the course of the retreat by photographer Catherine Adam. I do not know which one came first ... Did the card I chose imprint upon me or was it the energy already alive in me that led me to choose this card? The hands remind me of abhaya mudra, the Buddha's gesture of fearlessness. To me, this gesture has ..read more